Chelsea were already about to be dumped out of the English FA Cup by Everton, when their hot-headed forward Diego Costa was dismissed for a scuffle where he appeared to bite an opponent.

The £150,000-a-week (US$215,000) striker took umbrage at a tackle from Everton’s Gareth Barry, squaring up to the midfielder before stretching his jaw over his neck like a vampire.

But the Chelsea striker - who could be slapped with a lengthy ban over the incident - has denied making contact with his opponent, saying through a club statement that “he did not bite him at any point during the altercation.”

A club spokesman said: 'Diego spoke to club officials after the game and expressed regret over his reaction to the challenge from... (1/2)